Beehives traditionally have been made from wood or styrofoam. However, the need has arisen for low cost, disposable beehives which are also biodegradable and which can be easily transported to areas in need of pollination services, such as agricultural fields, orchards, and greenhouses. Prior art attempts to overcome the disadvantages of wooden beehives include the use of plastic or synthetic resins, such as styrofoam, to construct lightweight, portable beehives. Two such beehives are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,832 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,597. However, beehives made from plastic or synthetic resins are expensive and are not biodegradable.
The present invention addresses the need for an economic and disposable beehive which is also portable and biodegradable. Beehives constructed from cardboard are more economical to produce than plastic or synthetic beehives. However, if the beehives were only constructed of plain cardboard, the bees could "gnaw" their way through the cardboard. Moreover, the hive would not withstand the effects of rain or other moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a protective wax coating on the cardboard from which the hive is constructed to prevent the bees from affecting the integrity of the hive enclosure and to protect the cardboard against moisture and other elements.